Harare, Zimbabwe – – Afghanistan Under-19s won the toss and elected to bat against India Under-19s in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup at Harare Sports Club. The match began at 9:30 AM local time.
Afghanistan made a single change to their lineup, bringing in fast bowler Khatir Stanikzai in place of Aqil Khan, who had previously taken 3 for 36 against Ireland. Stanikzai had featured in all games except the last Super Sixes match. India, meanwhile, fielded an unchanged XI from their previous convincing 58-run victory over Pakistan.
India captain Ayush Mhatre expressed confidence in his team’s approach at the toss, stating, The boys are doing well and the attitude they are showing is great. We just want to play simple cricket.
This sentiment reflects India’s unbeaten run in the tournament thus far.
Both teams have demonstrated strong form leading up to this semi-final clash. India enters the match undefeated, buoyed by their dominant performance against Pakistan. Afghanistan, while having suffered a single defeat against Sri Lanka, rebounded strongly with a significant 191-run win over Ireland. This suggests a resilient and competitive side capable of challenging India’s winning streak.
As of the start of play, Afghanistan had reached 13 runs for the loss of no wickets after 3.1 overs. Osman Sadat is currently batting on 6 runs off 7 balls, while Khalid Ahmadzai has scored 7 runs off 11 balls. Henil Patel is bowling for India.
Early in the innings, Henil Patel’s bowling was noted for a slight change in length, with grass covering ending just before the fuller length area. Commentators suggested India might need to adjust their lengths to extract more assistance from the pitch.
RS Ambrish also featured early in the bowling attack for India, delivering a good length delivery to Khalid Ahmadzai. Ambrish’s initial spell saw him concede 9 runs from 2 overs.
Team Lineups
India: 1 Aaron George, 2 Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 3 Ayush Mhatre (capt), 4 Vihaan Malhotra, 5 Abhigyan Kundu (wk), 6 Vedant Trivedi, 7 RS Ambrish, 8 Kanishk Chouhan, 9 Khilan Patel, 10 Henil Patel, 11 Deepesh Devendran
Afghanistan: 1 Osman Sadat, 2 Khalid Ahmadzai, 3 Faisal Shinozada, 4 Uzairullah Niazai, 5 Mahboob Khan (capt & wk), 6 Azizullah Miakhil, 7 Khatir Stanikzai, 8 Abdul Aziz, 9 Roohullah Arab, 10 Nooristani Omarzai, 11 Wahidullah Zadran
Tournament Context
England and Afghanistan had previously secured their places in the semi-finals after strong performances in the Super Six stage. This sets the stage for a compelling semi-final matchup between India and Afghanistan, both teams eager to advance to the tournament final.
Historically, Afghanistan has batted first in four of their matches in this tournament, losing an average of one wicket in the first 10 overs. In contrast, India has bowled first twice, taking 2 wickets against the USA and 5 wickets against New Zealand in the corresponding phase. These statistics suggest differing approaches and potential advantages for each team depending on the conditions and the toss outcome.
The match is being broadcast live on the CAN YouTube channel, offering fans the opportunity to follow the action. For those in Kathmandu, there is also an opportunity to provide in-person support.
The outcome of this semi-final will significantly impact the trajectory of both teams in the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2026. A victory for India would solidify their position as tournament favorites, while a win for Afghanistan would represent a major upset and propel them closer to a potential championship title.
